MACON, Ga. — According to the U.S. Department of Health, African Americans face mental health obstacles at a higher rate than other races.
St. Paul AME Church is hosting a Women's Health and Happiness event on March 19 at 1 p.m. A panel of Black female experts will be talking about how women can take care of themselves.
Lynda Geddis is the program coordinator. She said the theme is about helping women heal and find hope.
"Women are often caretakers of other people, but seldom take care of themselves the way they should, so we want to help them learn and how to be healthy," Geddis said.
Carletta Threatt knows what it's like to care for others and she's ready to take a step back.
"What I'm looking forward to is learning how to better take care of me," Threatt said.
Threatt is mother of three and has 10 grandchildren. Currently, she has been raising one of them since he was 5 weeks old.
Threat owned a daycare for 27 years. While she has successfully cared for many children, she says she neglects to take care of herself.
"Because as we age, we need to better take care of ourselves because the things we used to do, we can't do them anymore," Threatt said.
Licensed professional counselor LaShanna Stephens said she knows the challenges women faced before and during the pandemic.
"What I'm seeing is an uptick in depression, anxiety, financial problems, and of course, grief," Stephens said.
Stephens recommends journaling, going for a walk, and taking a drive in your car are all good forms of self-care.
"A therapist can help you find the 'why' of why you're experiencing those symptoms. Instead of just treating the symptoms, we try to find the root cause of those symptoms," Stephen said.
Stephen said women should recognize their potential and believe in themselves because of what they have contributed to society.
If you or someone you know is looking for counseling, you can go to the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities website.